Bed-spring tightener.



H. LA ROE.

BED SPRING TIGHTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28 I914.

1 1 38,459 1 Patented May 4, 1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY LA ROE, OF NORTH RIVER, NEW YORK.

BED-SPRING- TIGHTENER.

Application filed July 28. 1914. Serial No. 853,745.

T all whom it may concern zen of the United States, residing at North River, in the county of Warren and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bed-Spring Tighteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bed spring tighteners and it consists in the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide a tightener of simplestructural arrangement especially adapted to be used fortightening the springs upon bed frames. With this object in view the tightener comprises legs having feet adapted to be engaged with the rail of a bed frame, said legs having a slide movably mounted thereon. A fixed jaw is carried by the legs and a lever mechanism is fulcrumed to the legs and is operatively connected by means of links and lugs with a jaw movably mounted upon the legs. The said jaws are adapted to receive between them the end portions of a bed spring and when the tightener is swung about the rail of the bed frame the spring may be drawn to a desired tension and when suitably tightened may be held by bringing the clamping rails of the bed frame together or toward each other whereby the stretched spring is confined.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tightener showing the same applied to a bed frame which is illustrated in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tightener showing the same in a position about to be swung in the act of tightening the spring and showing parts of the bed frame in section. Fig. ,3 is a plan view of the tightener. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of a cleat which may be used in combination with the tightener.

The tightener comprises legs 5 which are suitably secured together at one end and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4 1915.

otally connected at 13 with the lugs 12 and is ver 14 is provided with a shank handle 16 which is disposed between the end portions of the legs 5 as most clearly shown'in Fig. 3 of the drawing. A slide 17 is movably mounted upon the legs 5 and is adapted to receive the shank handle 16 within the same. The wire spring 18 of the bed frame is mounted upon the frame in the usual manner and the said frame includes side bars 19 which support lower bed rails 21. The bed rails 20 are adapted to be secured to the rails 21 by bolts or other suitable securing devices. The wire spring 18' is adapted to be received between the rails 20 and 21. Rollers 22 are j ournaled upon the legs 5 and are adapted tomove along the under surface of.

the rail 21.

In operation when it is desired to tighten the spring 18 the rail 20 is removed from the rail 21 and one end of the spring is lodged between the jaws 8 and 10. The lever 14 is then swung whereby the jaw 10 is moved and grips the end of the spring 18 and secures the same in the groove 9 of the jaw 8. When this is done the slide 17 is moved along the legs 5 so that shank portion 16 of the lever 14 is received in the said slide. The tightener is' then disposed against the edge of the rail 21 as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The outer end of the legs 5 is then swung down in the position shown in Fig. 1 and consequently the spring 18 is stretched or tightened. After this has been done the rail 20 may be socured in position above the rail 21 and consequently the spring 18 will be held in its stretched condition. During the act of swinging the legs 5 as hereinbefore described the rollers 22 may move along the under surface of the rail 21 and consequently reduce the friction during the swinging of the tightener. I

If at any time it is found impossible to sufliciently tighten the spring18 by swinging the legs 5 once, the spring 18 may be given an initial stretching or tightening and then the cleat 23 may be applied to the bed frame by engaging the hooks 24 of the said cleat around the corner portions of the bed frame of which the part 19 is a component. The pins 25 may then be engaged with the spring 18 and consequently the spring may be held at its initial tightening, while the nected: with the legs 5. A lever 14 is piv- Be it known that I. HENRY LA Ron, a c1t1- free ends of the legs?) are again elevated and the spring 18 is re-secured between the jaws 10 and 8, and consequently subsequent swinging of the legs 5 will again tighten the spring 18 until said spring is brought toa desired tension. Therefore it will be seen that 'a bed-spring tightener of simple structural arrangementv is provided and that the tightener may be easily and quickly manipulated to bring the spring of a bed to a desired tension. After the spring 18 has been tightened and should it be desired to permit the tightener to remain in position upon the bed frame, a cable 26 may be connected with one end ofthe legs 5 and the other end of the said cable 26 may be connected with the opposite side portion of the bed frame as illustrated in Fig. 1 and when this is done the tightener will be held in position upon the bed frame.

Having described the invention what is claimed is 1. A bed spring tightener comprising legs having laterally disposed feet, a jaw fixed to the legs, a slide movably mounted upon the legs, a lever fulcrumed to the legs adapted to be received within the slide, a jaw movably mounted upon the legs, links pivotally connected with the movable jaw and with the legs, said lever being pivotally connectedwith the movable jaw.

' 2. A bed spring tightener comprising legs having laterally disposed feet, rollers attached to the legs at the feet, a jaw fixed to the legs, a slide movably mounted upon the legs, a lever fulcrumed to the legsand having an end portion adapted to be received in the slide, a jaw movably mounted upon the legs, links pivotally connected with the movable jaw and the legs, said lever being pivotally connected with the movable jaw.

3. A bed spring'tightener comprising legs having feet, a jaw fixed to the legs and having a groove disposed along the length thereof, a lever fulcrumed to the legs, a slide movably mounted upon the legs and adapted to receive the end portion of the lever, a jaw movably mounted upon the legs, links pivotally connected with the movable jaw and the legs, said lever being pivotally connected with the movable jaw.

In testimony whereof I. afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY LAROE.

. WVitnesses:

R. J. MARTIN, 7 WM. H. NIXON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

